Late rally nudges Southwest over Latin America on Day 3

Southwest trailed for the first time in tournament play on Tuesday evening, as they squared off against Latin America. Fierce infields on both sides paved the way for numerous double plays, but, eventually, Southwest pulled out the come-from-behind win, defeating the ASOFEM Little League team from Puerto Rico, 6-4, and becoming the first team in the series to improve to 3-0.

A shot to shallow center field from Nicole Marie Madera scored Solange Daree Sampoll for the lead for Latin America in the top of the first. But the Southwest team from San Antonio, Texas, was quick with a response. An error at first allowed Alexandra Losoya to score on a base hit from Henessey Soto, leveling the score at 1-1 to round out the first.

Solid pitching and disciplined infields bantered back and forth through four innings, until Latin America again started running the bases. A fly-out to center field in the fifth from Marie Cruz Sanchez had enough distance for Dayanne Mari Solivan to tag up from third. Sampoll’s double, in the very next at-bat, brought in two more runs, extending Latin America’s lead by three.

Southwest fired back under pressure, though, as Gabrielle Winkler’s single to shortstop with the bases loaded brought in Britney Ramos home later in the fifth inning. Two batters later, Soto brought in a run, with the tying run getting gunned at the plate to end the fifth.

Soto sat down the next three batters to start off the sixth and Southwest’s offense went to work again. Felicia Sanchez’s bomb to left-center, in the bottom of the sixth, brought in two runners in scoring position, and an error to second base gave her the go-ahead run to push Southwest into the lead for the first time in the game, 6-4. Soto retired three of Latin America’s next four batters at the top of the seventh to seal the win. She finished on the mound, allowing three earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. Sampoll went 2-4 and picked up two RBIs in the win.

“We knew that, even though we were trailing,” said Southwest manager Joseph Losoya, “we couldn’t give up. I knew what our kids could do and knew that, while we were behind, we hadn’t shown what we were capable of doing. We put runs together and fought hard. Whenever you’re down, you just have to be more patient at the plate. Just be a little more relaxed. I gave some of our girls the take sign at the plate on a 3-1 count. Sometimes you’ll get a ball, sometimes a strike. It’s all part of the game.”